Eyeing the Future

Here are two women figures I made. I don’t know why I felt compelled to take the remains of a 30-year-old cutting board, one which I had left sitting outside for about a year, and create these two portraits. But I did, and I photographed them in my back yard.

Lady # 1 – full view…

…and her closeup shot.

Lady #2 – full view…

…and her closeup shot.

I do know what I was thinking about as I made them. I will be having surgery on my right eye on Tuesday, October 28 – I have developed a hole in the retina. The condition is called a macular hole and the operation is a vitrectomy (I tell you this so that if you want more information you can search the internet for details). I discovered the problem about a month ago and it’s been under observation since then. As time has passed I have lost the central vision in this eye and my overall vision is now affected. The only treatment for it is surgery and so that’s what I will be doing.

This operation has a great success rate and I should have good improvement in my vision. But it will entail a long period of recovery and I am not sure how things will go. So, I’ll probably be in and out of doing art and communicating about it until things stabilize. I feel optimistic about the prospects and I am very grateful that this operation exists and can help me.

So – I’ll be looking forward to getting back to making art and to writing about it – and before you know it, I hope!

I feel compelled to write…having had a surprise eye surgery some years back for a detached retina and partially detached retina….I had to fly alone to another island for emergency surgery….it was very scary, but, I can see today. Have faith. Keep up the good work, I enjoy seeing it!

Hi Claudia! I just read your post about another surgery! It sounds like it will be easy overall, and I’m sending good wishes your way. Almost done with my Masters (Humanities, so ALL of the arts!) and I’ll be making even more art again after that. I do postcards each month, plus some sketchbook projects. Say hi to Bob and keep us posted on your health! Julia Wigent

This information helped me. Hearing of another person in the same situation with good results was very encouraging! I think you were very brave to undergo the surgery in the manner you did and I am glad it was successful. I am very appreciative that such surgery exists and quite amazed at the results.

Yes, these posts are from my retina surgery in October 2014. So things did go well, and I had cataract surgery on both eyes (an anticipated complication) this summer in June. Also recovered well despite becoming allergic to one of my medicines and the eye swelling and itching. But I got past that. My vision is radically different now – I was very nearsighted and now with the new lenses I am farsighted! But I see pretty clearly with a little distortion due to the scar on the retina. Other than that, the whole thing was just like a miracle. I lost my sight twice and got it back twice!